By Ashton Leber
Staff Writer
The Chinese Students Association (CSA) hosted its annual Teahouse event in the T/W Lounge on Friday, Nov. 19, to celebrate Chinese heritage.
The event offered a taste of Chinese cuisine and tea, along with a variety of performances scheduled throughout the night.
The ambiance and lights set the mood for a relaxing evening and a night of fun and laughter amongst friends.
Hubert Hsu, president of CSA and a junior nursing major, said the purpose of the Teahouse is to bring the community together for a lighthearted evening of entertainment and refreshments.
“It’s to have a night of performances from the community while serving tea,” Hsu said. “It’s basically to relax.”
With more than 100 people in attendance last year, Hsu said he expected more than 150 people this year. Hsu was not disappointed — a steady crowd streamed into the event. Soon, the lounge was overflowing with students.
Senior biology major Zachary Lo was the first performer of the night. In his opening act, Lo performed “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers and “Prettiest Friend” by Jason Mraz.
“I wanted to perform because this is an event that’s really close to my heart,” Lo said.
Lo has been involved in CSA since the organization began four years ago. He decided to perform this year as a way of giving back to the organization.
Lo said he also got involved to show other students what the Teahouse event was truly about.
“It’s to spread Chinese culture,” Lo said. “The purpose was to get people acclimated with Chinese food and teas. We wanted people to get a taste of that.”
During intermission, students formed lengthy lines for a taste of Chinese cuisine, and many went back for seconds.
Katlyn Leong, a member of CSA and a sophomore psychology major, said she was excited to see the performances at this year’s event.
“I thought it would be fun and entertaining, especially to see the talent of the other people,” Leong said. “I look forward to watching the CSA Dragonflies.”
The CSA Dragonflies is a group of student dancers who exemplify traditional Chinese dancing. Following their act, the evening continued with a variety of performances from dancers, singers and martial artists.
The event was made possible by several cosponsors, including TCNJ Asian American Association, TCNJ Barkada, TCNJ Japanese Students Association, TCNJ Korean Student Association and TCNJ Dining Services.
The Teahouse event allowed CSA to showcase Chinese culture to the greater College community. Members of CSA said they are always open to new students, whether they are of Chinese descent or are simply looking to become familiar with the culture.
“I would advise students to get involved by coming to meetings and seeing what CSA is all about,” Leong said.
